Traffic, developer needs meet head-on

Tuesday

Jul 29, 2014 at 7:22 AM

The developers of a shopping center bringing a Marshalls, Aldi, Petco and Hardee’s to Spring Hill are considering withdrawing the project if they are asked to shoulder the cost of traffic improvements.

The developers of a shopping center bringing a Marshalls, Aldi, Petco and Hardee’s to Spring Hill are considering withdrawing the project if they are asked to shoulder the cost of traffic improvements.

Plans for the Shops at Campbell Station — previously referred to as the Wilkes Development — were reviewed Monday during a planning commission special-called meeting and work session. Theo Stone, a senior project manager with LaCrew Engineering, said the developer has expressed concerns over the cost of installing turn lanes to improve road conditions and access into the development as well as the time it is taking to approve the plans.

"There are things outside my control as far as contractual obligations and closing the land purchase," Stone said. "I mean this in all sincerity, if this doesn’t get done, this deal will walk away. I have no control over that."

Stone said the developer was hoping to begin construction in late August or early September with a goal of having the development open by summer 2015.

Alderman Jonathan Duda said he brought the issue of paying for turn lanes to the attention of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, but he said most members were hesitant to provide funds for the project over transportation projects the city has already prioritized and set aside money for. The planning commission cannot require the city to participate financially in projects, Duda said. That is left up to the BOMA, he said.

City Administrator Victor Lay said the city has reached its borrowing limit of $9 million for the fiscal year.

Duda said he spoke with to Sun Trust officials, who own one of the parcels on the property, and they indicated they were willing to discuss participating in easements for turn lanes. It is not known if Sun Trust will want the city or developer to purchase easements from them, Duda said.

Duda suggested the developer and other parties involved calculate what they can afford to spend on the improvements before they approach the BOMA as the BOMA may be more receptive if the groups have commitments already in place.

Commissioner Charlie Schoenbrodt said when the development goes forward, the city will receive additional income from increased property taxes and sales taxes.

Vice Chairman Josh Rogers said the city originally opted to defer building a turn lane when Sun Trust first went into the development, despite the need for one.

"It should have gone in a long time ago," Rogers said. "We said we’d take care of it later. Now it’s later."

Rob Roten lives in Shannon Glen Subdivision and told the planning commission a right turn lane from Main Street/U.S. Highway 31 into Campbell’s Station and a right-hand turn lane is also needed from Campbell’s Station into Main Street to are necessary for local residents. Roten said the evidence of the collisions at the intersection litter the roadway.

"You can go up there right now and find the piles of car parts swept into the corner," Roten said. "If the developer pays for it or the city pays for it doesn’t mean a lot to me, because the citizens need turn lanes in both of these instances."

VILLA D’ANGELO DEVELOPMENT

City Engineer Jerome Dempsey voiced concerns for a new town home development planned for 2.4 acres of land off Harrah Drive and O’Hallorn Drive. The town homes, originally referred to as the Galardi Subdivision, have been named Villa D’Angelo by the developer.

Dempsey said city staff believes the driveways for the developments are too short, emergency equipment would not have enough room to turn around in the development and the buffer of fencing and trees between the town homes and the Campbell Station neighborhood was not big enough.

Bill Huddleston, a Murfreesboro-based engineer helping the developer with the project, said the developers have verified with emergency crews the area is adequate and said he felt the 18-feet-long driveways and garages would be enough to accommodate any vehicles.

Huddleston said he was "surprised" to hear the city required the development to have both a buffer strip — an area of maintained vegetation — and a setback — the minimum distance allowed between two structures. Huddleston said he and the developers feel the proposed privacy fence and 20-foot buffer zone are enough.

Duda also expressed concern the driveways were too short. He said he feels the additional buffer and setback are needed to differentiate between the town home development and neighboring subdivision. A sign indicating the town homes are not part of the Campbell Station neighborhood was also suggested by Duda. Another concern Duda expressed was that one of the town homes will be built five feet from a sidewalk already in place.

Kenny Thompson said he lives near the proposed entrance to the development, and he expressed concern landscaping, vegetation and a previously proposed retention pond would not be maintained because of the nature of the development.

"Who is going to maintain between those fences, and how are we going to guarantee that happens?" Thompson said. "I have seen that done in subdivisions before and it fell apart in about three or four years because no one wants to maintain it. In Campbell’s Station we have gone to great lengths to make a very nice subdivision, and make the appearance of the neighborhood very, very nice."

Huddleston said a neighborhood association is being set up for the townhome community to maintain landscaping, pond and other amenities.

LABORATORY PROJECT WITHDRAWN

Spring Hill’s planning commission was given the first look at a new medical laboratory planning to bring 30 jobs to the local area, but officials with the Franklin-based company said the project has been withdrawn.

David McCrea, chief executive officer, said in an email Tuesday the company withdrew the project "to pursue another option."

Plans were reviewed by the Spring Hill Planning commission for a project named M2 Laboratories, which would have been constructed near the intersection of Port Royal Road and Longhunter Chase in under a year, engineer Ken Crowder said.

The lab was proposed as a facility to test medical samples, Crowder said. Plans called for an expansion of the project in the future, he said.